Chocolate Hearts and Red Roses
by Children of Light
Summary: Shindou and Kirino have always been best friends. When the annual Valentine's Day dance comes around, though, the two find themselves locked in a fierce competition. The prize? Hanaraki Akara's heart. Valentine's Day Special. Requested by SapphireSpade.
1. Competition

**Requested by SapphireSpade.**

**Hanaraki Akara belongs to SapphireSpade.**

**Arnwald Aquilina belongs to HachimitsuOukan.**

**Kagome Sora and Kagome Akira belong to me.**

**Everything else belongs to Level-5.**

* * *

><p>As always, Raimon Junior High was holding its annual Valentine's Day Girl's Choice Dance. During the month before the dance, the female population is always divided into four.<p>

* * *

><p>There are the bold girls, who will get the guy they want, no matter what.<p>

"Oi, Nishiki! You're going to the dance with me!" Midori yelled to the samurai boy right after soccer practice.

"What?! Why?!" Nishiki protested. It's not that he didn't like Midori, but couldn't she have chosen a better time and place to ask him?!

The red-haired manager scowled, stomped towards Nishiki and kicked him- hard- in the knee.

"Because I say so, that's why!"

Nishiki could only bite back a scream of pain and nod his head vigorously while clutching his knee.

Midori smirked triumphantly while all the other members of the soccer team sweatdropped.

* * *

><p>There are also those who decide to just go with friends.<p>

Aoi went up to Akane.

"Hey Akane, want to go to the dance with me?"

Akane turned red and flustered, all the yuri manga, anime, fanfiction and videos she had seen ran through her mind.

"B-But, I-I'm straight, Aoi-chan!"

Aoi blinked a few times before finally realising how Akane misinterpreted the meaning of her words. She then proceeded to turn as red and flustered as Akane.

"N-Not in that way! I meant as friends!"

Akane calmed down after hearing Aoi's explanation.

"Sure! That'll be fun!"

Aoi sighed in relief. "I would have thought you'd go with Shindou."

Akane gave Aoi a melancholic smile. "I believe that I shouldn't force Shin-sama to do that. He's already told me he doesn't like me."

Aoi gave Akane a worried glance, remembering how heartbroken the brunette had been. She flashed Akane a bright smile and slung her arm around the other girl's shoulders.

"Ah well! We can have lots of fun anyways! Sisters before misters!"

Akane smiled and laughed alongside Aoi. Both girls remember Midori's infamous quote, and the chaos that ensued when Nishiki shouted back the male equivalent of the phrase.

* * *

><p>There are also the ones who you could practically guess who they'll ask instantly.<p>

The seven female members of the Raimon soccer team sat at their usual lunch table. Conversation was quickly brought to the subject on the dance.

A girl with dark blue hair tied into a side ponytail and bright blue eyes leaned forward and asked.

"So, who are you guys going with?"

Midori spoke up. "Well, I'm-"

She was cut off by the girl with dark blue hair, Kagome Sora.

Sora waved her hand dismissively. "We all heard you at soccer practice yesterday, Midori-chan."

Midori laughed out loud. "Well, at least now Kariya doesn't have a reason to accuse us of being in a girl x girl relationship!"

Sora also laughed, remembering how scary her best friend was when Kariya pointed out that the two of them were 'as close as lovers'.

She turned towards the other blue-haired manager.

"Who are you going with, Aoi-chan?"

"I'm going with Akane. As _friends_," she stated, with an emphasis on the word 'friends'.

Sora nodded and turned to the group's golden girl.

"You, Akina-chan?"

Arnwald Aquilina shook her head, her golden ponytail swishing.

"I haven't asked anyone yet, but…"

Sora took this as an opportunity and pounced.

"You should ask Minami-chan soon! I'm sure many other girls will ask him! I mean, he's one of the top 10 hottest boys in the school! You don't want to miss you chance! You'll regret it!"

Aquilina, overwhelmed by Sora, gave in.

"Fine! I'll ask him later!"

All the others girls just laughed at Sora's nickname. They were pretty sure Minamisawa wouldn't appreciate being called 'Minami-chan'.

Sora then turned her attention to her twin sister.

"What about you, Kira-chan?"

The pink-haired girl glared at her twin. "One more Death Note reference, and I swear I will kill you!"

The other girls at the table laughed. Ever since Midori showed them the show 'Death Note', Akira's nickname had been Kira. Which was quite appropriate. She's scary, the last two syllables of her name were 'Kira' and her name meant 'Light' in English. Not like the said girl ever appreciated their wittiness.

"Anyways, who are you going with?" Akane asked, even though they all knew the answer.

"I'm not going with anyone!"

The other six girls shared a conspiratorial glance. It was obvious that she'll eventually go with Hakuryuu.

Sora turned towards the final member of the group who hadn't answered her question, excluding herself.

"Akara-chan?"

The scarlet-haired girl bowed her head. In her usual soft tone, she answered.

"I haven't decided yet."

Sora had to strain to hear her. Well, if your best friend was the loud Midori and your sister was the equally loud Akira, you would have a hard time hearing soft-spoken people too.

Finally, Akane turned to the girl who had been asking them and threw the same question back at her.

"So, who are you going with, Sora-chan?"

"Me? I'm going with-"

She was cut off by her sister.

"Did you really have to ask that? It's obvious she's going with Amemiya," Akira said in her usual sarcastic tone.

Sora blushed faintly while the others laughed.

Midori stood up and smacked Sora on the back- hard.

"The Sun and the Sky, eh?"

At the mention of 'the Sky', the girls burst into even more laughter as they remembered the day Aoi and Sora pranked Tenma and Hikaru, due to the fact that their hair colour was similar and both their names had the word 'Sora'.

* * *

><p>From afar, a group of boys were watching the girls.<p>

"Nishiki, do you really want to go with Midori?"

"Yes, I do, but I would have really appreciated it if she had been a little bit more romantic!"

"You sound like a whiny, spoilt, high-school girl."

"Shut up, Minami-_chan_!"

"Tch."

Minamisawa did his signature hair flip. He was so gonna kill Sora later for that nickname. Well, maybe not. Being beaten to death by an overprotective sister was not on his list of things to do today.

The group's sunny boy turned to his cousin.

"So, still chasing after the tsundere queen?"

Hakuryuu then choked on his drink.

"W-What?! I don't like that violent, pink-haired b-Mmph!"

A mysterious force prevented him from continuing his sentence.

"What the…!"

Taiyou sighed.

"Hakuryuu, the author wants to keep this story rated K+ so please watch your language."

"How about you stop breaking the fourth wall?!"

Hikaru and Kariya sweatdropped as the two cousins bickered.

Kariya turned to his pink-haired senior, only to find the feminine boy staring distantly at Akara. When Kariya realised Shindou was doing the same, he snickered. His laughter grew louder as the two love-struck boys sighed in unison, causing everyone at the table to give him quizzical looks.

* * *

><p>Finally, there are the girls who need a little push before asking a boy out. These are often in the form of chocolates or flowers from said boy, yet there are cases where this is taken literally.<p>

"Yo, Hakuryuu."

The said white-haired boy looked up, only to see the girl who had been causing him so much agony over the last few days.

"What do you want, Akira?"

Akira frowned.

"You haven't been focusing at practice lately. What's up?"

Hakuryuu scowled and looked away.

"None of your business."

"Why you…!"

The argument was soon cut short as Sora gave her twin a shove from behind, causing the two to fall down, Akira on top of Hakuryuu.

When they realised what positing they were in, both their faces turned red enough to match Akara's hair and Akira immediately jumped up.

"Sora!"

The blue-haired girl started running away from her enraged sister, leaving Hakuryuu on the ground, stunned and blushing.

The other managers chuckled at the scene when Kirino suddenly approached Akara. The boy's face was matching his hair and his hands were behind his back.

"Uh, Akara…"

Akara blinked.

"Yes, Kirino-kun?"

Taking a deep breath, Kirino thrust the box of chocolate hearts he was hiding behind his back to Akara.

"T-These are for you!"

Akara's eyes widened while Akane, Midori and Aoi made 'Ooh!' sounds.

She took them and stuttered out, "T-Thank you, Kirino-kun."

Just as Kirino was about to leave, Shindou's voice froze him in place.

"Wait!"

Everyone watched as the captain ran up to Akara and gave her a bouquet of red roses.

"Here, Akara! These are for you!"

This time, both Akara and Kirino's eyes widened while Akane, Midori and Aoi stared with their mouths agape.

"T-Thank you too, S-Shindou-kun."

Akara was utterly stunned. Kirino looked at his best friend and Shindou returned the glance.

"Sorry, Kirino, but I'm not going to back down."

Kirino blinked and gritted his teeth.

"Fine. I'm not going to back down, either!"

The two glared at each other and those watching could see the lightning between Shindou and Kirino.

"S-Shindou-kun, Kirino-kun…" Akara tried to calm the two boys down. Aoi sighed and stepped forward.

"I have a suggestion to solve this issue."

Everyone looked at her.

"Kirino. Tomorrow, you'll take Akara out for a date."

The two involved had shocked expressions.

"Ehhhhhhh?!"

Without flinching, Aoi continued.

"The day after, Shindou will take her out for a date. At the end of the two dates, Akara will choose one of them as her partner to the dance."

The three looked at each other.

"Akara, is that okay with you?" Aoi asked.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I guess so…"

"Good! Now, the three of you go home and prepare for your dates!"

With that, Aoi ended the discussion and walked off. One by one, the others also left. Shindou called his chauffeur and offered Akara a ride, but she declined. Kirino offered to walk her home, yet she still refused. She ran up to Aquilina and the two walked together, Akara panicking over the next two days and Aquilina trying to calm her down and giving advice.

Shindou looked at Kirino and left, muttering ideas for his date under his breath. Kirino also walked away, trying to sort out his thoughts.

At the same time, one thought ran through both boys' minds.

'No matter what, I have to get Akara to choose me!'

* * *

><p><strong>First chapter done! How was it, Spring-san? Here's a basic description of the following chapters.<strong>

**2****nd**** chapter: The Kirino X Akara date.**

**3****rd**** chapter: The Shindou X Akara date.**

**4****th**** chapter: The dance.**

**I'll publish the other chapters later, although if I don't have enough time, please forgive me if I publish the 3rd/4th chapter tomorrow. **

**Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Mitsuko**


	2. Kirino X Akara

_Knock, knock, knock._

Akara hastily went to open the door. Standing in the doorway was Kirino, wearing a white-collared green T-shirt over gray shirt, tan pants and sneakers that are colored dark red, black, and white. The girl herself was wearing a light pink shirt with a white jacket that had a pink flower on the left side and a hot pink skirt that almost reached her knees, white stockings with pale pink linings and pink sport sneakers. She also wore a pink newsboy hat.

Kirino blushed slightly.

"H-Hi, Akara."

"Hi, Kirino-kun," the girl shyly responded.

The boy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"So… Shall we go?" He stretched out his hand. Akara hesitantly took it and the two made their way to wherever Kirino was taking her.

"We've arrived."

Akara gasped. Kirino had taken her to the Hanako Gardens. At this time of the year, the Sasanqua, the Camellia Sasanqua, the Camellia Japonica, the Daffodils and the Japanese Allspice were in full bloom. The place was overflowing with flowers.

She turned to Kirino.

"K-Kirino-kun…"

He blushed lightly.

"D-Do you like it, Akara?"

Akara nodded before turning back to the flowers.

"Let's walk around, okay?"

Akara nodded again. Kirino hesitantly stretched out his hand. Akara blushed before slipping her hand into his. Kirino smiled and the two of them walked into the Garden.

* * *

><p>Along the pathway, Akara talked about the different flowers while Kirino listened on. Soon, they came across an ice-cream shop.<p>

"Would you like some, Akara?"

"Yes, please, Kirino-kun."

They walked up to the ice-cream shop. The cashier was a cheerful and enthusiastic woman.

"Welcome! What would the two of you like?"

Before Kirino could place his order, the cashier caught sight of their entwined hands and went, "Oooh!"

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I have the perfect recommendation for you two! Enjoy our Valentine's Day's Couples Special! It's a free Rose and Chocolate ice cream! Rose and Chocolate is our new flavour!"

The duo looked at each other, slightly overwhelmed by the enthusiastic cashier.

"Uh…"

"It's free!"

"Okay, okay, we'll take it!" Kirino finally gave in.

"Okay! Gimme a moment!" With the speed of one who had done this countless times, the cashier prepared their ice cream.

"And done! Enjoy!" The cashier handed them their ice cream, which was in a fancy bowl and pink in colour with chocolate chips. Kirino carried the ice cream to one of the tables outside. He picked up one spoon and handed it to Akara. She accepted it and the two ate their ice cream in silence.

A bit of ice cream got onto Akara's cheek and Kirino hesitantly picked up a napkin and wiped it away. Both of them blushed and looked away. After a couple of minutes of blushing, Akara picked up her spoon and quietly scooped a small bit of ice cream. She held it in front of Kirino's face. He blinked before eating the ice cream. Both had faces red enough to match the hair of a certain striker called Burn who they did not know.

The scene was really romantic. A boy and a girl, both blushing, sitting on two white and pink Valentine's Day themed chairs, eating a rose-coloured ice cream on a white and pink Valentine's Day themed table, surrounded by flowers

For some reason, Kirino had the feeling they were being watched, but he just brushed it off. The strange rustling of a bush was also ignored.

* * *

><p>"Kyaa!" Sora squealed. She was immediately silenced by Midori. The hand clamped over her mouth didn't stop her fangirling, though.<p>

"So cute!"

Around her, there were 5 other girls. Midori was busy stopping her best friend from revealing their location behind the bush. Aoi and Akane were grinning like idiots. Akira and Aquilina were looking annoyed.

Rolling her eyes, Akira questioned her twin sister. "Sora, what are we doing here again?"

Sora gave her a are-you-dumb look. "Because Akara's on her first date! Not to mention we probably won't be able to follow Shindou tomorrow. He's probably taking her to some fancy high class place or wherever rich people like him go."

Akira was about to respond when Aoi called out to them.

"They're leaving, let's go!"

And so, Kirino and Akara continued on their walk through the gardens, with their hands entwined, oblivious to the fact that they were being stalked.

* * *

><p><strong>The information about the flowers were from Google, so if they were inaccurate, sorry!<strong>

**I'm so happy, my school teacher gave each student in my entire class (33 girls) a real red rose and a small box of 5 Ferrero Rocher chocolate!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Mitsuko**


	3. Shindou X Akara

The next day, Akara opened her door again to the sound of her doorbell. She still wore the same outfit. Shindou was in a white and black flannel shirt, black pants and brown shoes. When Akara looked over her shoulder, she saw his limousine in her driveway.

"Good morning, Akara." He flashed her a charming smile. Akara blushed lightly and smiled gently.

"Good morning, Shindou-san."

He took her hand and led her into the limousine.

"Where are we going?"

"That's a secret. But I promise you'll love it."

* * *

><p>When she exited the limousine, Akara's eyes widened. Shindou had taken her to a greenhouse with many colourful flowers, some which weren't even in season at that time of the year.<p>

"Let's go in, Akara."

The two of them walked into the greenhouse. Inside, there was a green-haired woman standing at the door.

"Welcome, Shindou-sama. I assume this is Hanaraki-san?"

When Shindou nodded, the woman bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Hanaraki-san. I'm Wakahisa Sakura."

Sakura walked forward, gesturing for Shindou and Akara to follow her.

The group, led by Sakura, walked through the entire greenhouse. Sakura was, apparently, their tour guide. She introduced each flower to them, from the flower's place of origin to its time of blooming. Akara was really amazed by Sakura's extensive knowledge of flowers, and shyly brought up the topic. Sakura gave her a gentle smile.

"Flowers are my life. Ever since I was a child, I've been researching and learning about flowers."

Akara really admired her dedication to flowers.

Once the tour was done, Sakura left the two and Shindou led Akara to a restaurant in the greenhouse called 'Hana no Yume'.

After a delicious meal, Shindou brought Akara back home.

"T-Thank you, Shindou-san…"

"No problem, Akane-chan. So… See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah…"

After they bid goodbye, Akara went straight up to her room and fell onto her bed.

'Oh, no… I have to choose tomorrow… What should I do…?

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, a group of girls were having a discussion.<p>

"You were right. He did take her out to some fancy place in his limousine."

"I hate rich people."

"Well, now Akara has to choose. Who do you guys think she should go with? I say Kirino."

"I'm only saying Kirino cos Shindou and his wealth makes me wanna punch him in the face."

"Nee-chan! I say Kirino too, though."

"I think she should go with Shin-sama."

"Yeah, I agree."

"Me too."

"Well, it's Akara's choice anyways! Hopefully she decides by tomorrow!

"Yeah!

* * *

><p><strong>How was it? Oh great, I'm a week late! Hey, that rhymed! <strong>

**So, Spring-san, who should Akara choose? The adorable and cute Kirino or the charming and romantic Shindou?**

**Also, to all my readers out there, I'm officially going on hiatus. Sorry, but school is murder. So, requests are now closed and unless it's one of my existing requests, you probably won't be seeing an update on my stories.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Mitsuko**


	4. Valentine's Day Dance

When Hanaraki Akara walked into the soccer club the next day, all eyes were on her. She stood there, her head bowed down, trying not to crack under the pressure of the stares. Fortunately, the other girls grabbed her and brought her to the canteen to talk.

"So? Who have you chosen?"

Okay, maybe not so fortunate. Akara looked down, tears forming in her eyes.

"I… I can't decide!"

The other girls all blinked, taken aback by Akara's outburst. They looked at each other for a few moments before Akane placed a hand on Akara's shoulders.

"Just tell that to Shin-sama and Kirino-kun. They will understand."

Sora smiled at her.

"Yeah! C'mon, we're still young! Let's make the most out of it!"

Midori laughed.

"You don't have to choose now!"

Aquilina grinned.

"If the boys give you trouble, just tell us! We'll teach them a lesson they won't forget!"

Aoi nodded.

"Yup! Anyways, you won't be partner-less for the dance. You can still hang out with us!"

Akira smirked.

"That's right. Just go back in there and tell them. If they have a problem with it…" Akira cracked her knuckles menacingly.

After seeing all the support she had, Akara laughed gently. Those were her friends. They were wild and crazy, and she loved them for that.

* * *

><p>When they returned to the club, Akara went straight up to Shindou and Kirino.<p>

"So?" They both looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Kirino-kun, Shindou-san, but I can't choose between the two of you!"

"Eh?!" The rest of the club erupted into discussion while Kirino and Shindou stared at Akara, dumbstruck.

"How can you say that?!"

"So now what?!"

"Akara, what's wrong with you?!"

"Shut up!"

The boys gulped at turned to Akane, Aoi Midori, Aquilina, Akira and Sora. Their murderous looks and dark auras were enough to silence the soccer club.

"So, who will you go to the dance with?" Kirino and Shindou asked with quiet voices.

"I… I'll go with Akane and Aoi…"

Shindou and Kirino looked at each other and sighed dejectedly.

"I see."

"Well, thank you for at least considering us, even if it was for only two days, Akara-chan."

The two boys walked away slowly, their heads hanging low. The other girls quickly surrounded Akara, offering comforting words, looks and gestures.

Despite all that, Akara could not stop the tears from falling down her face.

* * *

><p>This was it. The day of the dance. The girls had agreed to meet up in Sora's classroom before heading to the hall, where the dance would be held.<p>

Being overly excited and eager, Sora had arrived at the school at 6pm, although the dance only started at 7pm. Since Sora had arrived so early, naturally Akira was with her. Around fifteen minutes had passed when Aoi and Akane arrived. It was another fifteen when Midori and Aquilina came. Finally, Akara hesitantly made her way into the school at 6.45pm.

Sora was in a light pink short-sleeved knee-length dress with a golden belt and magenta high heels. She had let her hair down, so that it fell just over her shoulders instead of being tied up.

Akira was, to the shock of many, in a dress too. She wore a dark green short-sleeved knee-length dress, with a white belt and white high heels. The twins looked identical except for the different colours.

Aoi was in a sleeveless dark blue frilly dress. She had a golden belt and was wearing silver high heels. She had adorned her hair with ribbons and accessories. Akane wore an outfit that matched hers, except Akane's dress was in red, her belt was silver and her high heels were red. Akane had tied her hair into one long braid instead of two.

Midori was in a green and black short-sleeved dress. The top of the dress was green while the skirt was black. She had tied her hair up into a bun, giving her a rather classy look. One would not guess that she was the fierce Seto Midori, female delinquent of Raimon Junior High.

Aquilina was wearing long-sleeved light peach blouse, with ruffles on both ends of the sleeves and on the V-neck collar, with a dark-orange big ribbon right below the collar, matched with a dark-blue skirt that is around two centimetres above her knees. She also wore high black stockings that covered her legs and grey shoes.

Akara was dressed in a flowery pink dress with frills. She was wearing pink ballet flats. She had let her hair down. Her hair was adorned with flowery accessories and she also wore a floral necklace and bracelet.

"So, shall we go?" Midori asked.

"Yeah!"

* * *

><p>Once they entered, they saw their respective dates waiting for them.<p>

Sora was immediately hugged by Taiyou, who received a kiss on the cheek from Sora and a death-glare from Akira.

Hakuryuu went up to Akira, who started blushing madly.

"I-It's not like I came here for you! Sora dragged me here!" Ah, the classic tsundere line. Hakuryuu resisted the urge to burst into laughter.

Aoi and Akane met up with Tenma, Tsurugi, Hikaru and the other date-less members of the soccer club, who had decided to just party together as friends.

Midori grabbed Nishiki by the collar and dragged him to the dance floor.

Aquilina and Minamisawa went to check out the whole place.

Akara had decided to join Aoi and Akane, trying to avoid Shindou and Kirino's gaze the whole time.

* * *

><p>The whole dance went by like a blur. Before long, it was time for the last dance. It was a slow, couples-only dance. In other words, Aoi, Akane and the rest had been evicted from the dance floor. Sora and Taiyou went forward, fingers entwined. Hakuryuu, although hesitant, decided to dance with Akira. It was one of those 'what-the-hell-I-have-nothing-to-lose' kind of moments. Nishiki had long passed out, causing Midori to be without a partner and thus joining Aoi and Akane. Minamisawa was with Aquilina, both looking like they enjoyed their evening.<p>

Aoi nudged Akara.

"Akara, even if you can't choose between the two of them, grant them at least the last dance!" The blue-haired girl nodded at Shindou and Kirino's direction.

Akara blushed.

"But-!"

Akane and Midori turned on her too.

"C'mon, Akara! One dance!"

Akara, overwhelmed, finally went up to Kirino and Shindou.

"S-Shindou-san, Kirino-kun, c-could we dance this last dance?"

Shindou and Kirino widened their eyes, looked at each other before smiling brightly.

"Of course, Akara-chan!"

And so, the three of them danced, Shindou and Kirino taking turns to lead Akara. And at the end, all three were smiling.

"Thank you, Shindou-san, Kirino-kun. And, I'm sorry for not being able to choose between the two of you…"

"It's okay, Akara-chan."

"We still have many more years to convince you!"

Akara smiled at the two boys. Before she could react, Shindou grabbed her left arm while Kirino grabbed her right arm. They pulled her into a kiss, one on each cheek.

"Because, we love you, Akara-chan!"

"I… I love you both too."

* * *

><p>- OmakeExtended Ending –

"So cute!"

"Woah, Sora, chill."

"What happened to Nishiki, Midori?"

"I guess he couldn't handle my dancing."

"Dancing, as in, you spinning him like a top?"

"Shut up, Aoi!"

"Haha! But why was Hakuryuu so scared to dance the last dance with Akira?"

"…"

"That's cos Nee-chan can't dance to save her life!"

"Shut it, Sora."

* * *

><p><strong>And done! Finally! Did you like it, Spring-san? By the way, the omakeextended ending was just to add in some humour, at Nishiki and Akira's expense! If you're wondering how Aoi, Akane and Midori's dresses looked like, type into Google Images '(colour) dresses for teenage girls'. Blue for Aoi, red for Akane and green for Midori!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**- Mitsuko**


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